Folding an m×n square grid pattern along the edges of a grid is called map folding. We consider a decision problem in terms of whether a partial overlapping order of the squares aligning on the boundary of an m×n map is valid in a particular fold model called simple fold. This is a variation of the decision problem of valid total orders of the map in a simple fold model. We provide a linear-time algorithm to solve this problem, by defining an equivalence relation and computing the folding sequence sequentially, either uniquely or representatively.

Logical matrices are binary matrices often used to represent relations. In the map folding problem, each folded state corresponds to a unique partial order on the set of squares and thus could be described with a logical matrix. The logical matrix representation is powerful than graphs or other common representations considering its association with category theory and homology theory and its generalizability to solve other computational problems. On the application level, such representations allow us to recognize map folding intuitively. For example, we can give a precise mathematical description of a folding process using logical matrices so as to solve problems like how to represent the up-and-down relations between all the layers according to their adjacency in a flat-folded state, how to check self-penetration, and how to deduce a folding process from a given order of squares that is supposed to represent a folded state of the map in a mathematical and natural manner. In this paper, we give solutions to these problems and analyze their computational complexity.